Joeline
R. Webber
13941 Aztec St. - Sylmar, CA
91342
Note: -- means blotted letters, blanks or inkspots that are uncertain.
The James W. Owen letters of
the
8th
Arkansas Infantry Bttn., History -CSA
My be-l Owen
I now take the opertunity of
writing you a few lines to let you k no that I am well at present hoping
when these lines comes to hand they will find you an the children enjoying
the same blessing we are at Jack—port we dont no how long will
stay here we hant drewe our bounty money yet there
is a bout fifteen hundred soldiers here I will send you some
money home as soon as I git it I want you to write to me as
sone as you can I dont no where to tel you to write two
Uncle Henry Jackson write
to me as sone as you can – nothing more at present onley remember your
affectionate husband
J.W. Owen to Luanna Owen
My Luanna Owen it is with playure
that I take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines to let you no that I
am well at present hoping when these lines comes to hand they
will find you an the children well
I want to se them sweat children
mighty bad an hug an kis them an here them say paw I want you
to hug and kis them for me George Jackson stade with
us last night he is in tolerable helth Alfred an
Daniel Owen is both in the horse pittle John is verry sick
but in camp I hant ben to se them yet but I will go an se them
as sone as we git setlede I hant much of import to write to
you I want you to take good chere of them childeren tel
I come home I dont no when I shal come home but I dont think
longer than tel summer Uncle Henry Jackson I want you to rite
to me as sone as you can I can say one thing to you
I have sene more sence I have ben out than I ever did before –
I have nothing more to right
only remember your affectionate husband
J.W. Owen to my luanna Owen
I recond you get the money that
I sent home by Capiten Alen
I hant herd from home sence
I left there tel Nelson Owen to write to me tel Uncle –llird
howdy an the rest of the neibers
(addressed on front) Hand this to Luanna Owen
Dear companion I have set down to try to write to you a few lines ---- let you --no that I am well at present an in fine spirits hoping when these lines comes to hand they will find you an the children injoying the same blessing we are at Corinth I hant got time to tel you much more We had an atact with the inemy yesturday We run them a bout three miles We whirped them bad I was in the back field tho I didn’t git to shute nary time they run so quick I got to se some of the ded yankess lying over the field I came in to camps today I shal start back the recklly I hant got the time to rite much Frank Cokln is ded Joseph Hushing(?) is not well Benjamine Wade(?) is in the hoptle Thomas Right is able to go out on picket There is right smart of sicknes in camps We have lost six of our men sense we left home the (line lost to fold) with us in camps We have ben out on picket every sense last Tuesday we are in cournel Jones battalion John S. Owen is sick I hant herd from the (too faded to read) sense (too faded) and I dont think we will have any nother fight here I want to se you all ---y bad tel all the (too faded) farthi— for a while
James W. Owen to
Luanna Owen
Wright if you git the chance
Tel uncle llud(?) houdy
Take of marel ---
Take of John an Willy
Hug an kis them for their paw
State of Miss Tishimingo
County
May the 17 1862
Dear wife I now seat my self down to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am well at present hoping that when these lines come to hand they will find you an the children well we are at Corinth we expect to leave here sone we dont no where we will go from here we think we will go to pine bluff ark I would like to se you an the children I warnt to hug you an kis John an Willey for me tel them of their paw I want you to hug sister and kis hur thre times for paw I would like to hug them my self we have had a gra deal of sicknes in camp we have lost eight soldiers I am glad that I can have it to say that I hant ben sick sense I left home I will bring my leter to a close I want you to rite to me as sone as you can I hant hurd from home sense I left home.
James W. Owen to my luanna Owen
Henry Jackson a few lines to you I can say to you that I am well at present hoping when these lines comes to hand they will find you all well I will say to you that I have ben in one batle tho I didant git to fire a gun the inimy retreated before I got a chanse I sene the bodes lying on the ground. I did feal like I wanted to git to fire a few rounds to but they run before our time come on as our lay(?) was not very grate we have ben loeking for a fight here but I dont think we will have any one here I cant right all that I no this time our foir(?) is ball we pay a dollar apound for tobaco all we by is high so I will bring my letter to a close by saying I want you to right to me as sone as you get the chanse right how all the friends is giting a long so nothing more at present
James W. Owen to
Henry Jackson
This letter is NOT in the same handwriting as the others and I suspect that it was written down for James by someone else at the hospital. There are clearly obvious differences in the writing.
July the 28 1862
Dear wife I seat my self down to let you no how I am giting along I am in tolerable helth at this time I hope when these few lines come to hand they will find you an the children well an doing well I want to se you worse than I ever did before I want to se the children Jest as bad as I can I want you to hug them for me an kis them my peaceful ours is past a way the days of trouble an triels is at hand I would like to come home but the chance is bad I hant ben on duty in two munts I hant ben able for duty I have ben in the horse petle for the last three weeks I think I will go back to the company in a few days it ant worth while one to say any thing a bout the war for I no nothing to say a bout it so I shall bring my letter to a close I I want you to right to me every chance you have there is a male pasing from greens burough here every momth
James W. Owen to luanna Owen
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7/5/99